Lining for fruit baskets



y 1934- R. L. STEELE, an

LINING FOR FRUIT BASKETS Original Filed Aug. 19, 1951 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Reissued May 15, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Original No.1,912,550, dated June 6, 1933, Serial No. 557,964, August 19, 1931.Application for reissue September 26, 1933, Serial No. 691,034

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a lining for fruit baskets and the like whichcomprises a lining member having the wall portion and the bottom portionintegral, the bottom being formed of a plurality of flaps extending fromthe sidewall portion so that when the flaps are folded in position, abottom member is formed for the lining member for the fruit basket forshipping the fruit.

Heretofore, lining members have been provided for fruit baskets in whichthe sidewall members and the bottom members are separate from eachother, resulting in a loss of time in the packing operation and alsocausing various inconveniences such as the exhaustion of the supply ofbottom members and thus stopping the packing operation at a time whenthe fruit must be packed in great quantities, but by providing thebottom member and sidewall in one piece, it is evident that a completelining member is provided, not only for the sidewall portions of thebasket, but also for the bottom thereof.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a lining memberfor fruit baskets comprising a sidewall portion and bottom portion madeintegral with each other, with the bottom portion being in the form of aplurality of fold able members adapted to opened outwardly during thepacking operation and to be folded inwardly to form a bottom memberafter the packing operation has been completed and before the basket isinserted over the lining member.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objectswill appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawing, showing a preferrcd embodiment of theinvention, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the upper portionof my lining member and showing the bottom portion partially unfolded;

Figure 2 is a View partly in elevation and partly in cross section andtaken along the line 22 in Figure 3 with the basket omitted in Fig-- ure3;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the lining memr ber with the bottom infolded position and before the fruit basket is slipped thereover.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the lining member comprisesa strip of material 10 which is joined as at 12 to form a continuouslining member for protecting the fruit from the sidewalls of the basketduring the shipping operation. The portion 10 has, in the form shown,six triangular shaped flaps or tabs integral therewith and indicated byreference characters 13, 14, 15, 16, 1'7 and 18.

The flaps, as well as the sidewall portions, have a plurality ofperforations 19 therein for ventilation purposes.

In Figure 2 a conventional ringer 2 is shown having the rim portion 21and a plurality of circular grooves 22 for the reception of the fruit 23to arrange it in rings within the lining member which is placed withinthe circular rim portion 21 and the flaps 13 to 18 are folded outwardlyaccording to the dotted line position shown in Figure 3 and the fruit ispacked therein and after the fruit is packed therein the flaps 13 to 18inclusive are folded to the position shown in Figure 3, and then thebasket 25 is slipped over the lining member containing the fruit to theposition shown in Figure 2 and the entire basket, lining member, fruit,and ringer are turned over to an inverted position from that shown inFigure 2 which causes the fruit and the lining member to sink downwardlyinto the basket to fill up the space 26 as shown in Figure 2 and in thisposition, the conventional lid is secured on the basket and the entirepackage is ready for shipping.

The advantage of this arrangement is that it permits the lining memberto be integral with the flaps and said flaps being capable of beingfolded outwardly for the packing operation and being folded inwardly tothe position shown in Figure 3 for the placing of the shipping basketthereover.

It is true that the drawing shows the upper portion of the lining memberhexagonal in shape but it is evident that the lower portion of thelining member will be circular and when the entire liner is packed fullof fruit, the straight sidewall portion as appearing in Figure 3 willbulge outwardly to cause the upper portion of the lining member to fitagainst the inside of the basket.

In the drawing and specification, there has been set forth a preferredembodiment of the inven tion and although specific terms are employedthey are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not forpurposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth inthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. A paper container adapted to be packed full of fruit and to have aninverted shipping basket inserted thereover after the container isfilled with fruit, consisting of a strip of paper secured together atits ends to form an endless wall possessing sufficient strength to holdthe fruit without any outside support, said container having one endopen and a closed end of less dimensions than the open end, the closuremeans for said closed end comprising a plurality of triangular portionshaving'one side thereof integral with the liner, the open end of thecontainer being adapted to rest on a ringer during the packing operationand the triangular portions being spread apart during the packingoperation, said triangular portions being foldable over the fruit toform a bottom for the container when an inverted shipping basket isplaced over the container, the base of each triangular portion inassociation with the sidewall to which it is joined being of sufiicientlength to form a pocket between the container and the basket toresiliently support the contents of the container in the basket.

2. A container for fruit and the like comprising an elongated arcuateflexible member adapted to be secured together at its ends to form anendless sidewall, which is larger at one end than at its other end andhaving a plurality of triangular fiaps projecting from the smaller endto form a closure for the smaller end of the container when thecontainer is packed full of fruit and the flaps are folded, thecontainer when filled, and the flaps folded, being adapted to haveplaced thereover an inverted fruit basket and the flaps, on account oftheir substantial width, at their junction point with the arcuate memberserving, when the basket is turned open end up, to move the containerunder the weight of the fruit, downwardly in the basket.

3. A container for fruit and the like comprising an elongated arcuateflexible member adapted to be secured together at its ends to form anendless sidewall, which is larger at one end than at its other end andhaving a plurality of triangular flaps projecting from the smaller endto form a closure for the smaller end of the container when thecontainer is packed full of fruit and the flaps are folded, thecontainer, when filled and the flaps are folded, being adapted to haveplaced thereover an inverted fruit basket and the flaps serving, whenthe basket is turned open end up, to move the container under the weightof the fruit, downwardly into the basket, each flap being of substantialwidth to prevent the weight of the fruit from dis-arranging the flaps.

4. A paper container adapted to be packed full of fruit and to have aninverted shipping basket inserted thereover after the container isfilled with fruit, consisting of a strip of paper secured together atits end to form an endless wall possessing suflicient strength to holdthe fruit without any outside support, said container having one endopen and a closed end of less dimensions than the open end, the closuremeans for said closed end comprising a plurality of triangular portionshaving one side thereof integral with the liner, the open end of thecontainer being adapted to rest on a ringer during the packing operationand the triangular portions being spread 100 apart during the packingoperation, said triangular portions being foldable over the fruit toform a bottom for the container when an inverted shipping basket isplaced over the container, the base of each triangular portion, in 105association. with the sidewall to which it is joined, being ofsuflicient length to form a pocket between the container and the basketto resiliently support the contents of the container in the basket andthe triangular portions being of 110 substantial width to prevent theweight of the fruit from disarranging the triangular portions.

ROBERT L. STEELE, III.

